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Our Research
Every faculty of Newcastle University carries out excellent water research, including areas as diverse as:
- engineering
- history
- dentistry
- architecture
Water research can be found on every scale, from multimillion-pound grants to a single fascinated researcher.
The Water NUCoRE has a role as a forum and facilitator for researchers in any area and at any career stage. The centre offers inspiration, collaboration and support for Newcastle University's water research community. It also supports our friends in the wider world.
Culture
Achieving long-term water security requires building and sustaining capacity at many levels. It's vital to educate across a wide range of stakeholders.
Education for all stakeholders is key to raising awareness of some of water security's core issues. We aim to:
- build the capacity and capability of all stakeholders
- drive understanding of the implications of varied access to sanitation facilities
- improve knowledge of the health consequences of poor water quality
Our research demonstrates how understanding community behaviours can help improve:
- water accessibility
- access to sanitation
- access to hygiene equipment
Increased community knowledge of water security has empowered vulnerable communities to lobby for evidence-based policy change and utility provision.
Technologies for treatment or measurement play a vital role in water security. We have a special interest in technologies for biologically treating waters. Our research is also concerned with novel physico-chemical methods and combinations of both.
Our long-term aim is to create a suite of technologies that give practitioners effective and sustainable treatment processes. This suite will ensure that all communities will be able to treat water or wastewater in an affordable and sustainable manner.
Measurement is vital to this goal. Tools for measuring quality, such as the lab in a suitcase or online BOD measurements, empower operators and citizens and open the door to new AI-based optimisation of treatment systems.
Fundamental research is vital to the development of innovative technologies. The Water NUCoRE has a key role to play by promoting frontier research and translating those advances into new technologies.
We benefit from cutting-edge expertise in the theory and simulation of biological treatment systems and from world-leading experimental facilities, such as BEWISE.
We work with the Centre for Climate and Environmental Resilience to understand, quantify and mitigate climate-related hydrological risks.
We’ve also developed stochastic rainfall models for a range of global climates. These assess:
- flood risk
- water quality
- agricultural productivity
Our researchers have also worked with the UK Met Office to develop a new generation of climate models. These models simulate how intense storms lead to flash floods. Using these models, we’ve provided evidence of future increases in these storms.
We have longstanding expertise in hydrological modelling. The SHETRAN model simulates water flow, sediment and solute transport in river catchments. It’s helping to build a national modelling system for Great Britain.
We’ve developed a suite of state-of-the-art hydrodynamic modelling tools. Among these are our:
We have also developed novel approaches to characterising flood impacts, such as:
- using network models to assess impacts on infrastructure
- using agent-based models to understand evacuation during flood events
We’re also combining new remote sensing and other data with advanced analysis. Together, this improves flood risk management.
Natural flood management methods increase resilience to flooding. This is achieved by using soft-engineered structures to divert, store and slow water flow. The measures cover the source of rivers through to floodplain storage schemes.
Our pioneering run-off attenuation features use ponds and barriers to reduce flood flow. Their success in protecting communities is on show at our prize-winning sites.
Water security can be restricted for a number of reasons, such as:
- capacity
- unclear responsibilities
- conflicts of interest
- issues of power imbalances
Understanding the governance of water management in different countries is key to understanding their challenges – and critical in proposing solutions.
We’ve mapped out governance structures for water security in general in:
- South East Asia
- Ethiopia
- India
- South America
Our work also covers governance structures in specific areas, like health, education and culture. Mapping these frameworks allows us to identify and integrate key stakeholders for interdisciplinary research.
We’re therefore able to create a system of approach to addressing water security. This allows us to encourage stakeholders to create combined solutions for water security challenges.
We draw upon a wide range of information sources to understand the water security challenges we face. We also generate our own datasets to inform wider discussion.
These datasets cover people's perceptions, behaviours and values in relation to water security. Some of our data collection methods include:
- focus groups
- interviews
- questionnaires
- in-situ catchment monitoring
- citizen scientists
- global datasets
- products
We also promote open-access data. Our WAHUDA platform supports the Water Security & Sustainable Development Hub.
We’re a founding member of the UK Collaboratorium For Research On Infrastructure and Cities. This promotes innovative approaches to research and development that aim to improve the sustainability, resilience and adaptability of infrastructure and cities through urban observatories, also known as living labs.
Newcastle University hosts two facilities that gather a range of data and evidence to inform decision making:
We have considerable experience of working on water and health risks in low- and middle-income countries. Our research has focused on:
- Malaysia
- India
- Colombia
- Ethiopia
- Cambodia
Our research investigates health risks for vulnerable populations, caused by conditions such as:
- rising temperatures
- extreme weather conditions
- flooding
- drought
- poor water access
Health risks relate to bacterial, viral and parasitic infections and the effects of poor water quality and availability on physical and mental health.
We’re currently undertaking epidemiological studies on these topics in the above countries. We’re also assessing the responsiveness of local health systems to manage water-related health issues. This research covers both day-to-day and natural disaster settings.